


Love Walks In

by inakindofdaydream



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Friends AU, Jily Challenge, Mention of Dragon Violence, Texting, surprise proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:21:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inakindofdaydream/pseuds/inakindofdaydream
Summary: Jily Challenge May 2018TV Show AUPrompt: Phoebe/Mike Friends AU -  i’m on a romantic break with my friends and new boyfriend after you broke my heart but wait “why are you here? wait why are you getting down on one knee? oh my gOD”





	Love Walks In

**Author's Note:**

> on tumblr also as [Inakindofdaydream](http://inakindofdaydream.tumblr.com)

“James.”

“Uh, no, actually it’s Nigel.”

Her pompadoured boyfriend was in front of her -- down on one knee no less -- but her attention was caught entirely by the familiar face she could see walking towards her over Nigel’s blond pouf.

“No -- I mean -- yes, I know -- I mean...James,” she sputtered, “is standing right behind you.”

“Lily,” James said.

“What are you doing here?”

“I need to ask you a question.”

“Uh, actually, I was just about to ask her a question myself--” started Nigel, rising from the ground and fumbling back into his chair across from Lily. 

 

____________

The Day Before

 

**Marlene McKinnon to Sirius Black**

 

**MM** :  _ We’ve got a problem _

_ Sirius _

_ Sirius Black _

 

**Missed call to Sirius Black from Marlene McKinnon**

 

_ YO, BITCH, THIS IS SOME SERIOUS BUSINESS _

 

**Missed call to Sirius Black from Marlene McKinnon**

 

_ HEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY _

 

**SB** :  _ mckinnon _

_ doll _

_ sweetface _

_ you do realize we are on a tropical vacation _

_ and my sexywolfishmoonybf is here _

_ who i was TRYING to seduce _

_ btw _

_ in case you were wondering _

 

**MM** :  _ Babbington is going to propose to Lily _

 

**SB** :  _ asdkjhfgkjdfgsadfkjfh _

 

**MM** :  _ She’s going to say yes _

 

**Sirius Black call to Marlene McKinnon**

____________

 

“I haven’t seen you in months,” she said as James approached the table

“Alright, I guess I’ll just let you borrow her for a moment,” Nigel said sarcastically, “want to borrow my chair too?”

“Yeah, that’d be great,” said James, sliding into his chair and knocking Nigel out of it easily and in one motion, but his eyes never left Lily’s.

It was completely unfair, she thought. He had shattered her heart and left her alone and yet here he was, out of nowhere, looking like  _ that _ . He was sharp lines and ruffled edges. His warm eyes were boring into her and she wanted to climb into their hazel depths. Underneath them were deep shadows which did nothing to dampen the bright hopefulness that overcame is face. It wasn’t fair, that he still have this much power over her.

It probably wasn’t fair to Nigel either, but that thought got buried far beneath the others. 

“Lily,” he said again, “I still love you.”

She made a noise, or maybe it was Nigel; all her senses had gone pretty James-centric.

“I love you too,” she said, because she did.

A crash sounded from somewhere to her right that probably  _ was _ Nigel.

_ “Don’t you dare!” _ and Sirius.

“These past few months have been horrible, miserable without you. And I know it’s my fault, but I thought that this was for the best, that I was giving you a chance for a better life.”

Lily knew this of course, she’d been there when they’d argued, then cried, then argued again, and then finally said goodbye. She knew that it’d taken Marlene days to get her to leave the apartment, that she’d finally said yes to going out again, that she’d run into an old flame at a bar and they’d been getting along well enough, that a few moments ago he’d been about to ask her an important question, and that he was currently being restrained by a giggling Sirius Black. 

But goddammit, James Potter comes walking in and nothing else  _ matters _ . 

 

______________

**Lily Evans to Marlene McKinnon**

 

 **LE:** _Thanks for setting Pads on me_

 

**MM:** _ np _

 

**LE:** _  I know you guys think you’re helping, but this is good, I promise _

 

**MM:** _ I bet you three pina coladas that that you can’t say he isn’t a boring blob of a human to my face _

 

**LE:** _  I can buy you a piña colada without you shitting on my almost-fiance. _

 

**MM:** _  SHIT. THE MAN STUDIES SHIT FOR A LIVING. THAT IS WHO YOU ARE SIGNING UP TO BE BURIED NEXT TO _

 

**LE** :  _ I’m getting engaged, not dying. _

 

**MM:** _ the fact that you don’t see this as relevant proves that you are not thinking straight _

_ LILY WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS FOR GODSSAKE _

 

**LE:** _ I’m glad we’re doing this over text, I can save this conversation to show my kids _

 

**MM:** _ I THINK I JUST VOMITED _

 

**LE** :  _ thanks _

 

**MM** : _ Lily this whole rebound thing has gone too far, maybe you should talk to him _

 

**LE** :  _ Stop _

_ Don’t you dare _

_ He has nothing to do with this okay _

_ You know me, I want to get married and have kids and do the whole domestic thing. So what else would a reasonable person do when a nice, good-looking guy comes along who’s willing to do all that? _

 

**MM** :  _ Lils _

_ You deserve SO much better than ‘willing’ _

 

**LE** :  _ Look Marly, I already found the love of my life. It just wasn’t meant to last the whole of my life. And that’s fine, right now I want someone who wants what I want. _

 

**MM** : _ But you want more than 2.5 kids and a white picket fence _

_ Besides, Babbington is not the only fool with a pompadour willing to get domestic with you _

_ Honestly, what is it with you and guys who are into their hair _

_ Hell, there are plenty of interesting POMPADOUR-LESS guys out there.   _

 

**LE** :  _ Ha _

 

**MM** :  _ Lils, I love you. I don’t want to see you make a mistake. _

 

**LE** :  _ that’s the thing though, I do love him. _

_ I love James _

_ FUCK _

_ NO _

_ FUCK YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN _

_ BABBINGTON _

_ FUCK _

_ NIGEL _

 

**MM** : _ I’m taking this as permission btw _

 

**LE** :   _ FUCK FOR WHAT MARLENE _

_ MARLENE MCKINNON WHAT ARE YOU DOING _

_ HEY _

 

**Missed call to Marlene Mckinnon from Lily Evans**

______________

 

“James…” she didn’t know what’d she meant to say, if anything.

“But then I realized,  _ we _ are the best thing. Us, together. You have made me such a better person, and damn it all if it isn’t my goal in life to make you happy.”

“You make me better too.”

He grinned, “I like to think so, but you weren’t the one accidentally set that garden shed on fire.”

She smiled back, “But you weren’t the one who came up with your alibi.”

“MAKEOUT ALREADY!” yelled Marlene, reminding them they had an audience at the other table and probably, after Nigel’s scuffles and her outburst, the entire restaurant. 

“Lily, what I mean to say is, what I came all the way out here to say is, well...” he was starting to ramble, “I think we should go at it together from now on --” Marlene whistled, “Life, I mean, we should go at Life together, and well, everything.”

____________

**Sirius Black to Marlene McKinnon**

 

**SB** _ : We could kidnap one of them _

 

**MM:** _ Who? _

 

**SB:** _ Lily, Babbleton _

_ James _

_ Though I think he’d just come _

 

**MM:** _ Hmmmm _

 

**SB:** _ Where are you? I’m waiting at the bar _

 

**MM:** _ Look left _

 

**SB:** _ YOU MINX _

_ THIS IS UNJUST _

_ REMUS GOT PISSED AT ME AND WENT TO JOIN THAT PING PONG TOURNAMENT _

_ HOW ARE YOU EVEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AND STICKING YOUR TONGUE DOWN HER THROAT AT THE SAME TIME? _

 

**MM:** _ like this _

 

**SB:** _ Heartless _

_ Get a room _

 

**MM:** _ text james _

 

**SB:** _ thank you my daring partner in crime this plotting session is adjourned you were most helpful im sure victory is within our grasp _

_ or your grasp _

_ GET A ROOM _

________________

 

His gaze was piercing through the layers of pragmatism and apathy she’d hidden behind for weeks on end. Her face was warming and she might have been melting into the seat, but the rainstorm outside meant it had nothing to do with the tropical climate.

“Lily Evans,” he stood up and positioned himself in front of her, kneeling down,”Will you--SHIT!”

“What?” she said, shocked out of her reverie. 

“Where is it?” he muttered to himself patting his various pockets frantically, like he was on fire, “I had it in my room out of the safe and then...oh FUCK.”

“James?”

“Dammit, Lils, I left the ring on my bed at home.”

“You sure you didn’t just forget it in your luggage?” she suggested.

“I don’t have any luggage, I just grabbed my passport and wallet and got on the plane.”

“You just got on the plane?” she asked.

_____________

**Sirius Black to James Potter**

 

**_SB:_ ** _ prongs this is it _

 

**JP:** _ What? _

 

**SB:** _ are you sitting down its important _

 

**JP:** _ I’m walking out of the subway _

 

**SB:** _ okay ill wait _

 

**JP:** _ ah shit _

_ Is someone hurt? _

_ Is Lily okay? _

_ Do you need a medevac or something I can call Mom because she knows people _

_ SRIS BALCK IMRUNNNIN TEHSTREETTT _

 

**SB:** _ prongsy _

_ chill _

_ just tell me when you’re home _

 

**JP:** _ For FUCKS SAKE PADFOOT _

_ I thought Lily was in trouble or something _

_ I’m home now _

 

**SB:** _ wow, glad to know how much you care about the rest of us _

_ but actually lily is in trouble _

 

**JP:** _ SIRIUS ORION BLACK I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU _

 

**SB:** _ okay shes not in physical danger _

_ although if you ask me any time spent with beeeblllton increases the risk of getting knocked out but that gelled solid hair pouf _

 

**JP:** _ can you get to the point _

 

**SB:** _ pompadoofus is going to propose to lily and shes going to say yes unless you get your ass down here and do something about it _

_ prongs _

_ james _

_ are you there _

_ do i need to call mia? _

 

**JP:** _ I’ll see you in a few hours _

_____________

 

“DAMMIT POTTER, YOU HAD ONE JOB!” Marlene exclaimed.

“Do you wanna borrow this one?” asked Sirius, wrenching a velvet box from Nigel’s hand.

“Hey!” he cried helplessly.

“I don’t think that glorified rhinestone is gonna help his case,” said Marlene.

James paid them little mind; he looked pitifully off his rhythm. Lily realized, for all his bravado, he was nervous. “I’m so sorry, Lily,” he said, “I tried to be spontaneous and romantic but I just messed up.”

“No, you haven’t,” she said, “Keep going.” If he could fly all the way to this island in the middle of a storm to ask her a question, she could meet him part of the way.

He looked up at her from his empty hands and smiled at the hopefulness he saw in her face. Without a ring to hold he took both her hands in his.

“Lily Evans, will you marry me?”

“Yes.”

_____________

**_Wedding Announcement, New York Times_ **

 

**Lily Evans, James Potter**

 

Lily Evans, daughter of the late Steve and Peggy Evans, married James Potter, son of the late Fleamont and his surviving wife Euphemia Potter, this past Sunday, June 3rd, in a private ceremony in the Potter’s family penthouse overlooking Central Park. 

 

The bride wore a classic white dress designed by a longtime friend of the couple, New York socialite and part-time designer, Sirius Black. Black, who was ordained under the Universal Life Church for the occasion, also officiated the ceremony. Ms. Evans was escorted down the aisle by Mrs. Potter, restaurant mogul and the couple’s only surviving parent. 

 

Others in attendance included close friends Marlene McKinnon, who claimed responsibility for the event coming to fruition, and Remus Lupin, currently studying medicine at Cornell, who did not make any similar claims but expressed his best wishes for Ms. Evans and Mr. Potter. Mrs. Petunia Dursley nee Evans, the bride’s sister, also attended the ceremony. 

 

The couple had been school sweethearts, only to briefly separate early this year. A romantic reunion earlier last month in the Bahamas preceded this week’s happy nuptials. 

 

The new Mr and Mrs Potter, having recently been in the tropics, will honeymoon to the Scottish Highlands in the castle of an old friend.

 

**_Obituary, New York Times_ **

 

**Nigel Babbington**

**Sanitation Reseacher**

 

Nigel Babbington, formerly of New York City, died this past Tuesday, June 4th, in Minsk. He had recently moved from the City, where he worked as a Researcher for the Sanitation Department, to further his studies in Belarus.

 

Cause of death was as a result of multiple burn wounds and deep lacerations received from a dragon attack. Ignacio, the dragon in question, has diplomatic immunity and refused to comment.

 

Babbington has no surviving relatives. His estate will be auctioned off in coming weeks and its proceeds donated to the New York Landmarks Conservancy. 

**Author's Note:**

> Petalstofish didn't say I couldn't borrow Nigel... so I did and then killed him with my dragon Nacho <3<3<3


End file.
